The
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is urging recruitment
agencies to meet their obligations under the
Data Protection Act.
Under the Act, most organisations that process individuals'
personal information electronically must notify with the ICO.
Failure to notify with the ICO can result in prosecution and
fines.
Recently, the ICO has successfully prosecuted
a number of organisations for failing to notify. These included a
recruitment company
which had to pay a £2,000 fine.
The ICO says its records indicate that approximately 50% of
recruitment and employment agencies have not notified with the ICO,
and are, therefore, not currently registered as data
controllers.
The ICO said it will soon begin taking further action against
those that have failed to notify.
Simon Entwisle, chief operating officer at the ICO, said,
"Compliance with data protection principles ensures that
individuals' personal information is secure, accurate, up-to-date
and processed fairly.
Failure to notify is a serious offence, and the ICO will not
hesitate to take action against those organisations that flout the
law in this way.”
Notification costs £35 per annum and is made directly to the
Information Commissioner's Office, based in Wilmslow, Cheshire.
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